Here we are. Finally, another update! The story's getting a little more complex now... Hope you enjoy!

Oh, and by the way, I'm going on vacation on the 14th (the day after my birthday...reviews are lovely gifts...) and won't be back until August, so there will be no updates for a bitsy... I've actually just returned from working at a 10 day away camp (hoorah for camp counselors!), which explains why this is so very late...

Anyway, have fun!

Pax
Things had happened so quickly. It had been my turn to have the night watch on the flock. The cold was severe, being late winter, the darkness pitch. It must have been past midnight. The witching hour. I was no more superstitious than any person. I was God-fearing, naturally, but the beings of ancient lore did not really affect my life. Perhaps the Good Lord sought to teach me differently; that is to which I want to attribute my trials.

I was lifted from my seat, into the air, by a pair of steely talons. Satan has come for me! I had thought. In reality, that had not been far from the truth. Some time during the flight I must of lost consciousness, for when I awoke my body was strapped to a slab. Something loomed in the corner. A man, hidden in darkness.

"Who are you?" I demanded, struggling against my restrains. He bristled, straightening and moving from the nook.

"I am the lord of this land."

I stopped wriggling. Never before had I seen the head of our nation. Could this truly be him? He appeared regal enough, or at least that which I could see of him.

"Tell me," he coming forward; his face was veiled in perpetual shadow, "What is your name?"

"My Christian name, sir?"

His dark eyes flashed.

"Yes."

The room seemed to darken. I felt a twinge of fear.

"Cézar."

"I see." A smile touched his face. "Then Cézar, as of this night, you shall be under my employment."

I sputtered, confused.

"Your employment?" I stammered, beginning to strain against the straps once again, "Please, my lord, I cannot accept! I must return home to my flock---"

Suddenly, his face was directly in front of my own.

"I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter."

From behind his back, the man drew a syringe, filled with liquid. My eyes became wide, my twisting strengthened. The needle was placed beneath my nose.

"Do you know what this is, Cézar?" The question was asked in a soft, almost gentle, tone. He did not wait for an answer. "It is werewolf venom. You see the color?" It was dark red, "How deep it is? It is quite genuine. The essence of the beast in its purest form."

He pushed up the sleeve of my jacket. I screamed, but his hand clapped over my mouth; the strength was enormous.

"Now, this may sting a bit…"

I felt the needle plunge into my flesh; my arm began to burn, throb with pain. I tried to bite his fingers, but they squeezed my face, crushing. The poison was spreading; I could feel it tearing at my insides, devouring my life. I am going to die. It was sheer anguish. A light appeared before my eyes. .My life is over.

Everything swiftly stopped. The torture faded, the radiance died away. My body was covered with cold sweat. I blinked; my vision seemed oddly keen. Something moved; I turned my head, sniffing instinctively. Someone was approaching. The man stood nearby, smiling grimly.

"You shall notice some changes, my friend." He said. "Understand, that this is a great and powerful gift I have given you. The price of it shall be your loyalty."

I snarled. What provoked me to behave in such an animalistic manner?

"And if I refuse?"

The small smile returned.

"Then I shall kill you."

We both sensed the moving creature now, coming down the corridor. He ignored it.

"Your occupation is a very important one, and will begin in three days time. Should you fail, you will not live to explain your error."

"Why in three days?"

Never before had I felt so alert, so vigilant and aware of my surroundings. I smelt and saw all, and heard everything. Whoever it was outside had reached the door.

"It will be your first full moon. On that night, you will achieve your true form."

A small, sweet voice cut through the gloom like a blade.

"Master?"

It was a girl's voice. Such a gentle sound in hellish place. The man turned.

"Come in, my dear. Come and see what I have for you."

Another shooting pain blasted through my body. I growled and arched, unaware of the motion beside me. It past, eventually, my muscles contracting and convulsing. A howl broke loose from my throat; deep and rumbling, an animal sound. I snarled and whipped my head to the side. A person stood there. Not the man, but another.

A young woman. Delicate and slender. Her skin was pure and white; It would be easy to rip.

"Is he hurt, Master?"

It had been hers whose voice I heard. The resonance of the sound soothed my ears, dulled the pain.

"He is recovering, my dear." The man moved into view and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. He was much taller than she, though equally, if not more, pale.

"His name is Cézar." The long fingers moved to stroke her dark hair. "He will be your guardian."

She gazed down at me; her eyes were large and bright. Gently, she touched my cheek with soft fingers. Was she an angel?

"Shall you not help him, Master? He looks ill."

From the angle at which he stood, only I could see the cruel smile he sent me.

"You are very kind, but I fear there is nothing more to be done for him right now."

She was silent for a time.

"May I stay with him?" He frowned, "Just until he is well?"

His look towards me became increasingly unpleasant.

"If you wish. Mind, you mustn't feel obligated. He is of no consequence."

She did stay, though. Long after her master left. She drew a chair and sat quietly at my side. When another spasm came on, she left and returned with a basin of water. Through the agony, I felt the gentle touch of her slim hands, daubing my face with a damp cloth.

I knew what I was becoming. A creature of darkness. One who fed on the flesh of others; I might destroy those I had known and cherished. And in their last moments on earth, before I tore them to bloody shreds, they would think me a monster, and never suspect me to be one they once loved. I was his slave. Bound to this mysterious and terrible man for all time. The Devil's Serf. I let out another howl, feeling my teeth elongate into fangs, then return.

But in the darkness a voice sang quietly. Her. The girl. She too was his servant. Had she not called him Master? When the haze cleared from my eyes, I looked upon her face. So lovely. What was she to him, this girl? Surely one that called him Master could mean little. Yet he had said I was to be her guardian; she must have some significance, for me to be turned from human to beast for her safety.

As the hours past, she slowly drifted into sleep. Her breath was slow and calm, her face serene. She consoled my fatigued mind, guiding me to follow her into a light slumber. Soon after, the door opened, and the man returned. He held a thick blanket, in which he wrapped the girl, picking her noiselessly from her seat. Her dark head drooped against his shoulder, and he smiled faintly, ignoring my presence as he left the room.

I did not want him to take her away. When would again lay eyes upon her, my gentle angel? I hoped it would be soon; as still another wave of burning pain assaulted me, I closed my eyes and bore it silently. For her.

R-E-V-I-E-W-S. For those of you who can spell and read, do as it says! For those of who can't...well, I don't know exactly what you're doing on this site...

Ahhh... Cézar's in luuuuurve. I couldn't help it! I love irony, and is there nothing more ironic than a werewolf falling in love with a vampire's daughter? Woaw. It just occured to me how much that sounds like the sub-plot of Underworld. Except Adriana isn't a vampire, but just has vampiric parents...

I heart vampires!

Pax